


Her Road Diverges

by ThatwasJustaDream



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Community: 1-million-words, Gen, farewell fic, friendship fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-15
Updated: 2015-03-15
Packaged: 2018-03-17 22:10:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3545570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatwasJustaDream/pseuds/ThatwasJustaDream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlie comes to see them, to share tidbits about the Mark and to say goodbye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Her Road Diverges

**Author's Note:**

  * For [crookedspoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crookedspoon/gifts).



> Written as a reward for Crooked Spoon as part of the Weekend Challenge on the 1_million_Words comm. The prompt request: Charlie visiting Dean and Cass, or some "last train home" for a fandom of your choice. I kind of combined the two, in a way - hope it works for you!

“Sam seems a lot better, too,” Charlie said between long sips through the Crazy Straws she’d insisted on breaking out of her glove compartment for their iced tea party. “More solid on his feet and …chill, you know?”

“Yeah. It’s been a hell of a rough year, but I think we’re all a little more solid.”

Dean drank around his straw and gave her a mock glare when that got an eye roll out of her. Damn if she didn’t make him feel like the stodgy older brother sometimes - closer to a responsible, actual grownup than most anyone else made him feel except maybe Sammy.

They could have sat indoors, had their chat in the bunker, but she’d insisted on some fresh air. Then, had hauled out a blow-up kids’ wading pool from her trunk and plopped it on the scrub and dust that passed for their front lawn. She’d filled it with the hose Dean had hooked up for washing the cars and added bubbles, was soaking her bare feet as they sat in the first warm sunshine of the whole year.

This was a winter none of them would miss - so even if it was still on the chilly side, it was nice to turn their faces up and catch some rays. To pretend it was summer, and that they were happy.

The first thing she had let him do when she dropped by was really apologize to her - in full, his heart in his throat, the way he’d wanted to last time he saw her but couldn’t. And then she’d told him ‘enough, Debbie Downer,” before he could get teary. Which he appreciated.

“Check it out,” she nodded to where the Cas’ Continental had been rolling up as they talked, Cas stepping out of it. “McDreamy’s back.”

“Stop it,” Dean half barked and half drawled. “Not once ever in all the times I’ve mentioned him to you did I ever call him anything even close to…”

“It was implied,” She elbowed him. “Heavily. And damn, you were right. Hello again, Castiel,”

She said it with a little extra something in her voice and shit, if Cas didn’t get that self-conscious grin going, the kind of smile he never used to flash ’til he’d become half human. It brightened his face and made his eyes crinkle. Between that and the sunglasses perched on his head and the jeans and old leather bomber jacket he’d found in storage and taken to wearing when they were all just hanging out…God _damn._

Dean knew he was getting a particular look on his own face, could feel it: His ‘how dare you make me want to bang you?’ face. The fact that Castiel could probably discern that particular flavor of pissed-off and never called him on it? He kind of appreciated that, too.

“Dean, they didn’t have the five pound bags of potatoes so I bought several of the loose russets instead,” Castiel jutted his chin at the groceries in his arms as he headed inside. “Everything else on the list I found. See you in there?”

“Yeah, man, thanks for the grocery run. K.P. duty is on me tonight.”

“What’s…that?” 

Dean felt his frown relax, one corner of his mouth turning up. Castiel seldom needed an explanation for obscure references anymore. It felt kind of nice when he did, once in a while.

“Means I’ll do the dinner prep,” Dean said, looking Castiel up and down where he stood against the open door, holding it in place. “We’ll head in soon, okay?”

“What are you _waiting_ for?” Charlie asked when it shut behind Cas. “For someone else to scoop him up? Are you really so afraid that you’re okay with maybe watching that happen?”

“I’m not afraid, all right? At least not the way you think.” 

Dean made some ‘time to go’ motions toward getting up, and she reached for the towel on her backpack to dry her feet. 

“It’s just…you’re not the only one who’s spent time in strange, new worlds Charlie. Mine had no technicolor. Hell, it barely had color. But what it did feature prominently was a drugged-out, sad and cynical Castiel who lost his angel powers and all hope. And guess whose fault it was? Mine more than anyone. I look at what he’s going through now and…hell, yes, I’m afraid.”

“Wow,” Charlie paused then went back to drying off, looking around for her shoes. 

“I know. Cut the ‘pity party,’ right?”

“No, Dean. Stop being so damn hard on yourself. Whatever the Castiel in that other place became, his own choices led him there. That is not on you. And the stuff that happened with us? There wouldn’t have been an evil slice of me running around loose wreaking havoc for you to kick the shit out of if I hadn’t made certain choices.”

“But you trusted me and I…”

“Dean, seriously,” She got up and collected her pack. “I let you apologize ‘cause I saw how much it’s been under your skin but… enough. Those of us who care about you? I think I can speak for all of us when I say we’ve all forgiven you anything we thought needed forgiving. And we sure wish you’d do the same.”

“All right,” he started for the door. “People tell you something enough….maybe it’s time to start listening. Next time you see me, I promise- i’ll be working on it.”

“Um…yeah. One thing about that?” Charlie got up and headed in with him. “There probably isn’t going to be a next time.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’ve shared what I found for you about the Mark,” she stopped when he did, his hand on the door, his eyes looking so disappointed. “It’s not much, but I hope it helps. Now I feel like I need to go tilt at my own windmills.”

“Let me guess; hacking your way toward ending corporate greed…or at least making them pay through the nose for it?”

“I told you nothing,” Charlie followed him down the steps into the kitchen and dropped her pack. “The less you know, the less the real feds can pull out of you if they ever dot the line between us.”

“Staying for dinner?” Dean asked on his way to the sink.

“Sure. Might as well begin my mission on a full stomach.”

“Great. Come help me peel potatoes.”

“Aw…crap. Fell right into that one, didn’t I.”

~*~

Sam and Cas handled dish patrol, and Dean walked her to her car after their meal.

“You could stay, you know?” he said.

“Sure, I know. But … you three and a redheaded girl? Little too ‘Rat Pack’ for my taste. I need to be the hero of my own story…not one of the gang.”

“Gonna take your kiddie pool?” Dean nodded toward it and she shrugged.

“Nah. Not much use for it in my near future. Unfortunately. Keep it.”

“What the hell are _we_ going to do with it?” He watched her chuck her bag in the back seat and open front to get in.

“Put it in that awesome garage of yours,” She winked. “Save it for a couple of years from now. The Nephilim will have a blast with it….”

“You take that back,” Dean half barked it, but only got a grin from her. “You don’t think…that’s not …possible, right?”

“You might want to ask him,” She fired up the ignition. “‘Bye, Dean.”

“‘Bye, Charlie.”

He watched ’til she was out of sight. 

He wasn’t buying that they’d never see each other again. Might be a while, but… they would. He’d have to insist. 

If nothing else, he wanted her to see him in a day when he wasn’t telling himself he was poison. 

If he could get to that day.


End file.
